New Catholic school set for Windermere

Southwest Edmonton school will accomodate 750 students

When Angela Meier and her family moved to the south Edmonton neighbourhood of Windermere, it was with the hope that a new school would be built near where they built their new home.

"We wanted to be near where there would be lots of little kids now one of the things that was really important to us was that there would be a school nearby," Meier said.

"The bus times right now to go to Brander Gardens, which is where most of the kids in this area are going, is around 40 minutes. Which ... for a six or seven year old child is such a long time to be on the bus."

Now, she says she's delighted to hear that the area will have a new elementary school, likely by the time her son Luke is ready to start.

The Alberta government has announced a new school in the area in response to the growing population.

The kindergarten to Grade 9 Catholic school will accommodate 750 students in Windermere.

The Edmonton Catholic School District is hoping to work with the francophone board to allow French and English students to share facilities.

Board chair Cindy Olson said the school will help relieve the pressure in other area schools where class sizes are growing, though the school is still at least three years away from opening.

She says one of the schools in the area is already at 100 per cent capacity, while another is 87 per cent full.

"This school won't be built for a while but by the time it's built we're going to have an even greater need because there will be more and more young families moving in," Olsen said.

Premier Alison Redford did not release how much the new school will cost, when construction will be complete or how it will be financed.

Redford suggested the province may use general revenue, borrow money or build them as public-private partnerships.

Opposition critics suggest the Redford government is going to fall well short of its goal of opening 50 new schools in the province before 2016.

Calgary was also awarded a new kindergarten to Grade 9 Catholic school.

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